Lighting unit



Patented Aug. 9, 1932 HUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR 0] SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASBIGNOB TO WEBTDIGHOUSE ELECTRIC 6: MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYLVANIA LIGHTING UNIT Application filed October 11, 1929. Serial No. 398,918.

My invention relates to lighting devices and it has particular relation to light pro ectors employing high-intensity light sources.

In moisture-proof projectors, the problem of sealing the housing against the entrance of water is diflicult. In order to make the unit water-tight, a minimum number of openings into the housing should be utilized. Preferably, the only opening should be that in one face of the housing, but this construction involves difliculty in providing means for adjusting the position of the unit on its supporting standard and for focusmg the hght source of the unit.

It is an object of my invention to provide a moisture and water-proof housing for a light-projecting unit which may be tilted from side to side, by means located outside the housing, to permit direction of the projected rays over a wide range and which is provided with a focusing device arranged to be adjusted from in front of the reflector.

Another object of my invention is to provide adequate cooling arrangements for the lighting unit and parts thereof.

Referring to the drawing, in which like figures indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of my device, taken along line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, the color lens and color-lens clips being removed and portions of the cover being broken away to show the inner construction; and

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view along the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, a standard 1, which may be a section of pipe or rod, is threaded, at its upper end, to engage a cap 2. The cap 2 is provided with a convex upper face 3 and has a collar portion 4 adapted to make threaded engagement with the standard 1 and arms 5 to support the convex face. The cap 2 is substantially of inverted coneshape. A housing 6 is provided having a concave lower face 7 adapted to cooperate with the convex face of the cap 2. A washer 10, having a convex upper face, is adapted to fit inside of, and engage, the concave inner face 11 of the cap 2 and is provided with an open- SOllI'CB.

ing 12 through which a bolt 13 asses. The bolt 13 is threaded into a suita le threaded opening 15 of the housing provided for by means of a lug or boss 16 on the inside of the houslng.

Upon loosening the bolt 13, the housing 6 may be moved in any direction over the convex face of the face of the cap 2 so that a substantial adjustment of the angle at which the hght rays are projected may be made. It is to be noted that the head of the bolt 13 is accessible from outside the housing and may be tightened or loosened at will.

The housm 6 is a truncated, inverted, cone-shaped s ell open at the top and provldeid with an up-struck flange 22 the uppermost face of which is preferably machined. A plurality of lugs 23, having threaded openings therein, are radially disposed with regard to the upper portion of the housing for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The housing is preferably provided with an opening 24 in its lower portion and with a removable plug 25 to close the opening. The open- 1ng24 may be utilized for the attachment of a rain pipe, if desired. Other similarly located openings 27 (see Fig. 2) are supplied 1n order to permit the entrance of conductors which supply the electric current to the light These latter openings are preferably threaded and provided with a watertight seal by the utilization of a stufling box or a soldered connection. One or two of the openings may be utilized, depending upon whether single lead or double-lead cables are employed for furnishing current to the light source.

A reflector 41, which may be of any desired shape, but is preferably hemispherical, is fastened to suitable projections on the inside of the housing by means of screws 42. The reflector is provided with a large opening 44 at its center to permit the insertion of a lamp 45 through the opening, and the reflector is 1 in order to provide means for cooling the unit. It is to be noted that the heated-air currents strike the cover of the unit and the walls, so that the inner parts of the unit are cooled through the medium of radiation and convection currents. The walls and cover of the unit are cooled by means hereinafter described.

A lamp socket 51 for supporting the lamp 45 is fastened toa U-shaped strap 52 by means of bolts 53. The intermediate portion of the Ushaped strap is slidably mounted on screws 54 which have threaded engagement with the lower inside wall of the housing 6. Helical springs 55 are disposed between the heads of the screws 54 and the strap 52 to bias the strap downwardly. The ends of the strap have threaded engagement with screws 56 the heads of which project upwardly through suitable openings at the edge of the reflector 41 and lower portions of which rotatably engage cup-like depressions in suit able projections 58 on the inside of the housing to constitute a bearing in which the ends of screws 56 are journaled. Rotation of the screws 56 moves the strap 52, lamp socket 51 and lamp 44 vertically to permit adjustment of the light source with reference to the reflector.

A. cover for the lighting unit includes a lens 61 mounted on, and engaged with, a cover ring 62 by means of a lens-retaining ring 63. The lens-retaining ring 63 may be one complete ring or may consist of a number of circular segments, and the inner diameter of the lens-retaining ring is such that it engages the outer portion of the flange 64 on lens 61 to retain the lens in place with regard .to the cover ring. The cover ring and lensretaining rings are 'movably fastened together by means of screws 65 which have threaded engagement with suitable lugs 66 on the respective rings. A thick gasket 67 is disposed between the cover ring and the flange 64, and a thinner gasket 68 is disposed between the lens-retaining ring and the cover ring and also between the lens-retaining ring and the flange 64. The cover is secured to the housing 6 by means of bolts 71 which engage suitable lugs 72 on the cover and lens-retaining rings and which have threaded engagement with the radially-projecting lugs 23 of the housing. The gasket 68 is of such width that its inner portion is disposed between the flange 64 of lens 61 and the up-struck flange 22 of housing 6. Tightening of the screws in the cover ring 62 biases it against the flange 64 of lens 61, and the lens is biased downwardly against the flange 22 to provide a water-tight joint. Upon extreme tightening of the screws 71, the lens-retaining ring 63 engages and rests against the radially disposed lugs 23 of the housing 6.

The lens 64, preferably, is of concavo-convex shape in order to better withstand water pressure and it ma be a clear lens or a stippled lens for di using the light rays or a spread lens or any other type of lens known to the art. The lens may be of clear or of colored glass, but since, in the present state of the art, a clear glass is better adapted to withstand the effects of heat, I prefer to use a clear, heat-resisting glass, and, if color is required, to superimpose a color lens 81.

The color lens is supported on the cover ring 62 by means of projections 82 and is engaged with the projections by means of clips 83 and screws 84 which may be screwed into the same threaded openings utilized for fastening together the cover and lens-retaining rings. (See Figure 3.) The projections 82 are preferably discontinuous in order to permit openings between the color lens and the cover ring, and an opening 86 is disposed at the center of the color lens in order to permit liquid to circulate over the faces of the inner and outer lenses to facilitate cooling and to permit the escape of air bubbles. Since the water is heated by passing over the surfaces of the-lens, it rises and passes out through the opening 86. The upward movement of the heated liquid causes cool liquid to enter at the edge of the lenses and to pass upwardly over the walls of the housing and across the faces of the lenses, thus effecting thermosiphon circulation of the coolin media, which materially aids in cooling t e lenses and the housing Walls.

It is to be understood that, although I have described a structure suitable for operation in a liquid, such as water, my device may, by utilization of the princiole set forth, be adapted for-operation in other cooling media, such as air, and the hereinbefore described system of cooling operates to cool the unit.

It is to be noted that by turning the adjusting screws 56, the lamp may be moved in and out with regard to the focal point of the reflector and laterally to permit proper focusing. This adjustment may be accomplished from in front of the housing when the cover is removed without disturbing the reflector and other parts of the unit and without the necessity of providing openings in the back or in the lower portion of the housing.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a lighting unit, the lamp of which is arranged to be focused from the front of the housing and including a housing having one open side, a cover therefor, a reflector mounted within the housing and having an opening centrally located therein and having another opening in the rim thereof, a U-shaped socket-supporting bar disposed in the housing back of the reflector, a lamp socket mounted on the bar, a lamp mounted in the socket and projecting through the central opening of the reflector, means for resiliently engaging the lower part of the bar with the lower inside wall of the housing, and means for adjusting the position of the bar including a bolt projecting through the opening in the rim of the reflector and having operative engagement with the bar and the housmg.

2. In a lighting unit the lamp of which is arranged to be focused from the front of the housing and including a housing having one open side, a cover therefor, a reflector mounted within the housing and having an opening centrally located therein and having another opening in the rim thereof, a U-shaped socket-supporting bar disposed in the housing back of the reflector and having suitable openings in the lower part thereof, a lam socket mounted on the ar, a lamp mounte in the socket and projecting through the central opening of the reflector, means for resiliently engaging the lower part of the bar with the lower inside wall of the housing,

including bolts threaded through the open-- ings in the lower part of the bar and having screw threaded engagement with the housing, and springs disposed between the heads of the bolts and the bar, and means for adjusting the position of the bar, including a bolt projecting into the opening in the rim of the reflector and having operative engagement with the bar and the housing.

3. In a lighting unit comprising a closed casing containing a source of illumination, a transparent closure for one side of said casing, means for fastening said closure to said casing, a lens superimposed on but spaced from said closure, said lens having an opening near its center, means for spacing said lens from said closure, said spacing means being discontinuous and comprising a part of said means for fastenin said closure to said casing to provide openings around the periphery of said lighting unit between said lens and closure. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of October,

OSCAR WERNER. 

